Tilting mechanism for x-ray examination table



Dec. 17, 1957 l l w. ZAALBERG 2,816,806

TILTNG MECHANISM FOR x-RAY mMINATIoN-TABLE Filed oct. 51, 1955 IATTORNEYS United States Patent TILTING MECHANISM FOR X-RAY EXAMINATIUNTABLE Willem Zaalberg, Leiden, Netherlands, assignor to Smit- Rntgen N.V., Leiden, Netherlands, a Dutch limited liability company ApplicationGctober 31, 1955, Serial No. 543,940

Claims priority, application Netherlands July 8, 1953 1 Claim. (Cl.311-6) The invention relates to a tilting mechanism for an X-ray table,adapted to tilt the table from the horizontal position in two directionsabout an axis arranged transversely to the table and at a height abovethe floor smaller than half the table length, to such an extent that theplane of the table top is vertical.

This application is a continuation-impart of my application Serial No.441,513, now Patent No. 2,771,330.

With such an arrangement the patient which is lying on the table orstanding against the tilted table may be brought at any desired angle orslops. Below the table when it is in the horizontal position or behindthe table in another position a space should be available forpositioning an X-ray tube adapted to be separately displaced withrespect to the table and/or to be movable together with the table, whilein a frame adapted to be displaced with respect to the table aradioscopic screen and/or a film casing is to be arranged which shouldbe adapted to be brought above the patient lying on the table orstanding against the table. In order to be able to observe the image onthe radioscopic screen easily when the position of the table ishorizontal, the table must not be too high, e. g. not higher than 80 cm.This means that the transverse axis about which the table should betilted to both sides will be located relatively low, in any event lowerthan 80 cm. On the other hand the table should be of sufficient length(200 cm. or more) in connection with the length of the body of thepatient, and the construction of the moving mechanism should be arrangedin such a manner that the table may nevertheless be positionedvertically without the lower end of the table in question striking thedoor.

An object of the invention is to provide an arrangement of simple androbust construction which meets the said requirements.

It is another object of the invention to provide a tilting mechanismthat is self-braking.

As the moving mechanism of the table according to the invention onlyneeds to have a limited width in spite of its robust construction, itdoes not detract from the stability of the device to arrange the tiltingmechanism near one of the longitudinal edges of the table, whereby alarge space is available below or behind the table for variablypositioning an X-ray tube.

rThe invention will now be explained in detail with reference to thedrawings, in which a preferred embodiment of a table according to theinvention is described.

Figure l shows the patient table with the principal parts of the movingmechanism in side elevation, one of the side walls of the said tablebeing omitted.

Figure 2 is a sectional view along the line II-II in Figure l.

On a base 1, extending transversely relative to the table and having anupstanding post Z at one of its ends, is mounted a toothed segment 4 inthe form of a sector having teeth on the inner circumference 22 thereof.Toothed segment 4 is secure-d to the post 2 by means of a pivot 3, thetoothed segment being rigidly connected ice thereto by means of a bolt 5and being concentric therewith. The pivot 3 is located at a height abovethe base 1 which is less than half the length of the table.

Furthermore a support 7 is rotatably mounted on the pivot 3 supported inthe post 2. In the side wall of the support 7 on the side away from thetoothed segment 4, guide Slots 8 are arranged near the upper rim of thesupport 7, in which slots a guiding member 9 is slidable. The guidingmember 9 forms part of a downwardly extending longitudinal `side 10 ofthe table. In the hori- Vzontal position of thel table shown in Figure lthe guiding member 9 extends on both sides of the support some dis tancebeyond the support 7.

Near to the top 11 of the table a screw spindle 12 is arranged in thelongitudinal direction of the table, which spindle is supported at itsends in bearings 13. The spindle may be actuated by means of a worm gear14 on an electric motor 15. The screw spindle extends through andengages in a nut 23 which is fixed to the support 7 near the upper edgeof the support.

Beneath the top 11 of the table a toothed rack 19 is mounted through thegreater part of the length of the table and is parallel to the screwspindle 13.

Two pinions 20 and 21, which are co-axially fixed to each other, arerotatably supported on a shaft 17 mounted on the support 7. The pinion20 engages the teeth on the inner circumference 22 of the toothedsegment 4 and the pinion 21 engages the toothed rack 19.

The mechanism of the patient table described above operates as follows:

When the table is to be brought from the horizontal position shown inFigure l to the vertical position, e. g. by tilting in a directionopposite to the clockwise direction, the screw spindle 12 is actuated bythe electric motor 15 in such a direction that the said spindle, becauseof the engagement with the nut 23, moves to the right relative to thesupport 7. Since said screw spindle is rotatably mounted on the tablebut is not shiftable in its longitudinal direction relative to saidtable, the table and the toothed rock 19 mounted thereon are moved tothe right relative to the support 7. Since the pinion 21 engages thetoothed rack 19 this pinion is rotated about its shaft 17 in clockwisedirection, the pinion 20 fixed to the pinion 21 rotating in the samedirection. Since the pinion 20 engages the teeth on the innercircumference 22 of the stationary Segment 4, the rotation of saidpinion results in its displacement by rolling along said innercircumference 22 in a counterclockwise direction and therefore thesupport 7 together with the table supported on said support is tiltedabout the pivot 3 in a counterclockwise direction.

In the above-described manner the tilting movement of the support 7about the said pivot 3 causes a rectilinear displacement of said tablerelative to said support, the direction of which is opposite to thedirection of displacement of the table relative to the toothed segment4. The mechanism is dimensioned in such a manner that the table canreach the vertical position without the lower end of the table abuttingthe floor when moving to said vertical position.

As is shown in Figure 2 al1 parts of the moving mechanism, with theexception of the electric motor 15, are located within the width of theupstanding post 2 on one side of the table. Thus a very large spaceremains free below or behind the table for positioning an X-ray tubeadapted to be displaced relative to the table, which tube can easily bebrought to any desired point for screening or for exposures.

It is thought that the invention and its advantages will be understoodfrom the foregoing description and it is apparent that various changesmay be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the partswithout departing from the spirit and v'scope of the invention o1-sacricing its material advantages, the form he'reinbefore described andillustrated in the drawings being merely a preferred-embodimentthereof.n

What I claim is:

Ina patient table for'an X-'rayt installation y.comprising a base, asupport pivotally'mountled on said base,va-table top" slidable in itslongitudinal direction onysaidrsupport;

the pivotal mounting of said supportbeinghorizontal-` and perpendicularto the longitudinal direction of said table top and being located at'a`height above saidhbase which is less than half the length ofsaidtable,lanelectric motor mounted at said table top, a toothed sectrconcenf tric to said pivot and xed to said base having .teeth on the vinner circumference thereof, a toothed rack mounted-longitudinally ofsaid table top and xed thereto, and gearing comprising two pinionscoaxially fixed to eachother and rotatably mounted on said support, onekof said pinions being engaged with the 'inner-circumference of said:support effects tilting of the table top about said pivot in each oftwo opposite directions by action on said toothed sector in a directionopposite to the displacement of the table top relative to the toothedsector.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,222,888 Haupt Nov. 26, 1940 2,680,046 Stave June 1, 1954 2,692,173Lowitzsch Oct. 19, 1954 2,701,744 Koerner et al. Feb. 8, 1955

